List of Lithuanian Proverbs Sayings
Lithuania, a charming country in the Baltic region of Europe, is known for its rich cultural heritage and traditions. One fascinating aspect of Lithuanian culture is its collection of proverbs and sayings, which are passed down through generations and reflect the wisdom and values of the people. Here are some noteworthy Lithuanian proverbs and sayings that offer insight into the country's mindset and beliefs:
1. "Who lives in the wind, perishes."
Meaning: This proverb emphasizes the importance of stability and rootedness in life. It suggests that those who live without a firm foundation or support are likely to suffer.
2. "Who bears the cross, also reaps."
Meaning: This proverb conveys the idea that enduring hardship and facing challenges can ultimately lead to rewards and positive outcomes.
3. "Who loves, also waits."
Meaning: This saying highlights the patience and perseverance required in matters of the heart. It suggests that love and commitment go hand in hand with waiting and endurance.
4. "Where there is smoke, there is fire."
Meaning: This proverb points to the notion that rumors or suspicions often have some basis in truth. It serves as a cautionary reminder to investigate further when signs of trouble are present.
5. "The bigger the city, the bigger the thief."
Meaning: This saying draws attention to the prevalence of crime and dishonesty in urban settings, cautioning individuals to be vigilant and wary of deceit.
These proverbs and sayings provide a glimpse into the collective wisdom and experiences of the Lithuanian people. They reflect universal themes of perseverance, caution, and human relationships that resonate across cultures. It is through these enduring expressions that the values and beliefs of Lithuania continue to be preserved and shared.
If it weren't for sorrow and bad times, every day would be Christmas. |
You are learning all your life and you die stupid. |
As one devil goes out, another one comes in. |
It is difficult to teach a cow to climb a tree. |
There is no worse devil than a farmer who wants to be a gentleman. |
Boasting pot is not greasy. |
Even the hardest of winters fears the spring. |
The shoemaker is always barefooted. |
Don’t get happy before work is completed. |
He who drinks beer lives hundred years. |
Good eyes don't fear smoke. |
A shoe-maker walks barefooted. |
To a starving man bread is sweeter than honey. |
What kind of parents, such children. |
A slow sow digs out a deeper root. |
He is always hungry like a child of a cuckoo in another bird’s nest. |
As angry as a hoopoe-bird in a swamp. |
You can't blow against the wind. |
He is standing like Philip in a field of hemp. |
Offer the lazy man an egg, and he'll want you to peel it for him. |
Whatever may happen the Lithuanian will not perish. |
Smoke spreads further than the fire. |
A home so small it fits under a blade of grass, is still a home. |
He is as sad as the one whose shot wounded a dove. |
There is no need to whip docile horses. |
Love without envy is like a meal without salt. |
Good eyes don’t fear smoke. |
It is good fishing in streamy water. |
Words do not fill your purse. |
Teeth are like doves. |
Such father, such son. |
A man without a beard is like bread without a crust. |
If you run from a wolf, you may run into a bear. |
You must get your son, your wife and your bread from your native village. |
He is as joyful as one whose path has been crossed by a flying dove. |
Sing to the one whose cart you are riding on. |
Life without wife is like a kitchen garden without fence. |
Wherewith you coincide, such you yourself will become. |
If God closes the door, He opens the window somewhere else. |
She dressed herself like an owl with the feathers of a peacock. |
Dogs cannot make dreams come true people must do that. |
For every head a hat. |
To be without learning, is to be without eyes. |
If you go to bed hungry, you’ll wake up without having slept. |
The King searches for a crumb. |
He is as educated as a dog of a druggist. |
God gave gums, God will give granary. |
With your head you cannot break a wall. |
A silent pig digs the deepest root. |
I got drunk as a bee: my legs are like quills. |
Offer the lazy an egg, and they'll want you to peel it for them. |
Without pains no gains. |
As deceptive as an April morning. |
There is an herb for every kind of sickness but not for death. |
God, take it in shirt and give me one in fur. |
To whom it itches, scratches it. |
Gold glitters even in the mud. |
As beautiful as a fairy-child. |
Smoke in your own country is purer than fire in a foreign land. |
The older the goat the tighter the rope. |
Do your best at everything you’re doing. |
He is as happy as a dove in the claws of a hawk. |
Don't be too bold, or you will burn your eyes; but don't be too slow, or you will lose your share. |
Good start is a half of work Do what’s necessary before doing anything you want. |
He sleeps as though he were killed. |
All that glitters is not gold, and all that is sticky is not tar. |
The calm water is deep. |
If it weren’t for sorrow and bad times, every day would be Christmas. |
He is proud like a French dog. |
Who gives, has. |
One day teaches the other. |
He is as tenacious as a witch being drown. |
It is easier to give orders than to work. |
The calf isn’t even born yet and there he is sharpening his carving knife. |
Don’t laugh when your neighbor’s oven is on fire. |
It fits like a fifth foot to a dog. |
The church is nearby, God is far away. |
Offer the lazy man an egg, and he’ll want you to peel it for him. |
The happy do not count the hours. |
From a big cloud comes little rain. |
He who does not want to work, that cannot eat either. |
You can’t blow against the wind. |
With the intellect of another you won't get very far. * |
He lives like a Swede on his seas. |
You cannot jump higher than your navel. |
One main road is better than a hundred paths. |
As drunk as a pig. |
If you go to bed hungry, you'll wake up without having slept. |
Beauty will not fill your belly. |
He is happy like one who got a steed for present. |
Live life without rushing; death won’t be late. |
Sleep on a bed of silver and dream of gold. |
Don't laugh when your neighbors oven is on fire. |
With the intellect of another you won’t get very far. |
The calf isn't even born yet and there he is sharpening his carving knife. |
He speaks like one who fell down from a tree. |
Even the smallest drop is appreciated by the drunkard. |
A widow is lying at my side like a block of ice. |
When you are in the Devil’s wheel, you must learn how to spin. |
An old love does not rust. |
It’s good when a dog is a friend, it’s bad when a friend is a dog. |
Without gold even the daylight is dark. |
Not all that glitters is gold; not all that is sticky is tar. |
Well begun is half done. |
As fast as nine winds. |
The breath of others always stinks. |
Without learning, without eyes. |
I can neither read, nor write, but they promise to make me a king. |
Thrift is mother of wisdom. |
God gave teeth; He will give bread. |
Fear and love do not go together. |
The beauty of a housewife will not put more fat into the soup. |
Dogs cannot make dreams come true - people must do that. |
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